Istanbul woke up to an earthquake this morning: Notable statement from Ahmet Ercan regarding the aftershock

Following yesterday's 6.2 magnitude earthquake, another tremor was felt today at 07:19 off the coast of Büyükçekmece. While the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) announced the magnitude of the earthquake as 4.1, the Kandilli Observatory reported this value as 4.6.

Speaking after the earthquake, Prof. Dr. Övgün Ahmet Ercan stated that the tremor was linked to movements on the North Anatolian Fault Line and said the following:

"Interestingly, the rupture that began off the coast of Silivri with an M6.2 magnitude is extending eastward toward Büyükçekmece on the North Anatolian Fault. The latest occurred at 07:19 in the Sinanoba sea with an M4.6 magnitude. It is completing the eastern end of the Thrace branch with aftershocks. However, the tension is gradually decreasing. I do not expect it to move toward Beylikdüzü. However, it did intersect the Büyükçekmece-Çatalca fault. There is no cause for concern."

On the other hand, Ercan also made an important assessment regarding the expected major earthquake in Istanbul, stating that the current tension has not yet reached critical levels.

"The fact that the earthquake occurred at the intersection of the N45E-trending Thrace-Eskişehir fault and the North Anatolian Faults has strengthened and proven the theory that earthquake epicenters occur at junctions. The situation has shown that the reason it did not rupture from end to end with a major earthquake is that it has not yet reached the tension required to generate an M7.2 earthquake and overcome the 6 Giga-ton rupture resistance. My expectation for a major earthquake seems premature for now. Best wishes."

News Source: 12punto